Weed ordinance an issue in Sheldon

Nevada Daily Mail

Janie Claflin, who recently bought property in Sheldon, voiced her displeasure with Sheldon's weed ordinance at the Sheldon Board of Aldermen meeting Thursday.

The ordinance increases the fee for yard clean up, including mowing, from an overall $30 to $100 per lot, plus $40 per laborer per hour and a $50 administrative fee.

"Your position as aldermen gives you all kinds of power over people," Claflin said, "you have no sense of responsibility, and you have total disregard for the unintended consequences of your actions. Just like a teenager, your only excuse is everybody doing it."

Claflin asked the aldermen how four laborers spent 70 hours on her lot of 92 feet by 140 feet.

"What was once a lot that could be mowed, your operator and three laborers reduced to a toxic dump unfit for anything," she continued. "You removed valuable foundation stones, left a hole large enough to bury a herd of elephants in, and scraped the topsoil off. You left this barren fallow ground."

Claflin went on read the Sheldon tax payments of three of the aldermen compared with her own. She said she hadn't been notified of the abatement or the lean placed on the property.

"I am not paying this lean," she said. "And, I am not paying any more taxes or maintenance on the lot. In three years, it will go on the county tax sale, and three years after that, it goes up for sale for any price and it wipes out all your taxes and leans. I owned the land, had the funds, secured the help, and was prepared to put a small business in Sheldon. It ain't gonna happen. And if, in a brief moment of insanity, I happen to build a small business, I will build it out of the city limits beyond the city's ability to tax and regulate. Sheldon will not collect one cent of sales tax."

After Claflin's speech, resident Perry Fowler told the aldermen of his displeasure with the city's hiring, through Vernon County, a part-time police officer to patrol Sheldon.

"I would like to know why the city of Sheldon is spending money on Vernon County patrolling our city when there is already coverage of the county," Fowler said. "Why are we wasting that money when it could be better spent on streets, water and what this town needs?"

Mayor Jarod Lamb replied, "I don't think it is a waste of tax dollars. The sheriff provides coverage countywide. They do not enforce your local ordinances, they do not generate tax revenue for you. The officer was hired and contracted because there has always been cop coverage here. When I first took on this council, we had law enforcement through a grant. It got to where it wasn't cost feasible; we couldn't afford it. We lost the grant. This was a contract that the city undertook as a temporary aspect to see if it would meet our needs."

Fowler said he represented the people in Sheldon who were unhappy with the extra coverage. "The reason people don't want it is people are being picked on," he said. "Sheldon is not a traffic hazard city. People are being stopped for probable cause, rolling stops and no turn signals."

Alderman Josh Lamb said he didn't approve the contract to raise funds for the city. "I've heard a lot more people happy to see him town, than the two or three people that have maybe have been ticketed. If you know others who are displeased, you need to have them talk to one of the aldermen."

Mayor Lamb agreed. "Business owners and most citizens have wanted law enforcement in town. This is the first time I have sat here, seen people come in and say I don't want this. I have seen droves of people say I want this."

After the discussion broke down into an argument, alderman Robert Moran said he thought Fowler's point was valid.

"I also think a lot of the opinions expressed were anecdotal rather than factual," Moran said. "I think that if the council acts on anecdotal evidence, I think that's a waste of taxpayer money and bad government. It's unfortunate that the discussion turned to shouting. Everyone has a right to their opinion. I think we can do better than this, and we shall do better than this."

In other business, the aldermen voted 3-0 to enter in a memorandum of understanding with Region M. "Sheldon has been allocated $3000 for e-waste," Phyllis Sprenkle told the aldermen. "We need three bids for picking it up."

The aldermen decided to wait until spring clean up to schedule an e-waste pick up.

The aldermen took no action on engaging the Department of Natural Resources to improve the city's water system. Department of Natural Resources approved the city's application for a water improvement grant, however, the aldermen were concerned with not being able to comply with DNR's regulations by a December deadline.

In other business, the citywide garage sale will be Oct. 19 and clean up week is Oct. 21-25.